Wagon hitch



R. L. DORT WAGON HI'ICH Sept. 9, 1941.

Filed Des. l6, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheec 2 FIG.Z

NVENTOR:

T w D L m L m T W/A S S U R Patented Sept. 9, 1941 WAGON HITCH Russell L. Dort, Davennort, Iowa, assignor to" Beere & Company, Mollne, Ill., a corpora.tion of lllinois Application Becember 16, 1940, Serial N0. 370,324 v 6 Claims. (Cl. 280-3344) The present inventiom relates t draft connections and more particularly 130 a, device for hitching a Wagon to the rear end'of a tractor to which an agricultural implement, such as a corn picker, is also attached. The purpose ofsuch a draft connection is 130 enable the Wagon 130 be .towed. along side the corn picker in position toreceive the ears of corn from thelaterally extending e1evator conveyor of tl1e implement, and the draft device, in additlon 120 pulling the Wagon, must effect steering guidance thereof so as to malntain the wagon under the end of the elevator Conveyor.

The principal object of the invenoion is to provide an improved draft connection of this type which is so constructecl and arranged that the front end of the wagon draft tongue is hold a1; the proper height solely by the draft connectlon itself, thereby eliminating tl1e chains 01 other devices heretofore required to hold ehe draft tongue up. In the accomplishment of this object, I employ a, pair of crossed. links Which 2re counected to the front and rear endsof the wagen draft tongue and 110 the implement and the tractor drawbar, the link wnich is attached to the front end of the Wagon tongue be:lng supported by the other link connectecl to the rear end of the Wagon tongue, whereby the tongue is carried by the latter 1ink.

Other objects and advantages of my lnvention-t Will become apparent 130 those skilledfin the art after consideration of the following detailed description of the preferred embodi'ment thereof, reference being nad to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a. -perspective view of a tractor drawn two-row corn picker With a wagen disposed alongside thereof, and a draft connectlon constructed in accordance With my invention connecting the wagen to the tractor and the corn picker; and

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the same.

Referring now to the drawings, I have illustrated a tractor I0, a two-row corn picker H hitch-connected to the drawbar I2 of the trauter, and a wagen 13 connected with the tractor and With the implement by means of my improved draft device which is indicated in its entirety by the reference numeral E4. The corn picker H has the usual gathering arms E5 and a husking unit I5, with a. conveyor elevator 23 extencling laterally and upwardly from one side thereof. The upper end. of the elevator 28 terminates in a, distributlng head 2I which is disposed directly above the Wagon 13 and which distributes the 55 33,

ears of corn unlformly over the Wagon without; necessitating moving the Wagon longitudinally relative to the conveyor 2D. The corn picker ismounted. on a generally transversely disposed. frame 22 which is sup-ported on wheels 23. A draft tongue 24'ls fixed to the frame 22 and extends forwardly and laterally therefrom, the front end ofthe tongue being connected by a pin 25 to the tractor drawba-r !2. Forwardly sonverging bracing members 26 and 21 are fixecl to the frame 22 and. are joined to the tongue 24to strengthen thelatter[ The wagen I3 is provided. with a. forwardly extending draft tonguo 30 which is connected. in ehe usual way Wit'h the front axle 31 ofohe Wagon 130 steer the front wheels 32. k The draft device I4 connectlng the wagon the tracbor and to the corn picker comprises a pair of crossed links 33 and 34. Link 33 is comnected by a pivot holt 35 to the front end o1? the Wagon tongue 33 and by a, shackle 35 to the brace member 21 on the corn picken Link 34 is connected at 46 to the rear end. portion of the wagen tongue 39, ancl by a pivot holt 4,! to a bar 42 which isfixed a draft frame 43 on the tractor. The bar 42 is rigiol1y"braced by means of a short bar 44 whichis fixed. to the tractor drawloar 12 and ls bolted 130 the bar 421 intermediate its ends, and also by a. strut 4.5. The strut '45- is bolted one of two rerwardly facing implement m.ounting besses 46 provided on the rear axle housing of the tractor, and is joined to the bar 42 and link 34 by the pivofa holt 41. y

In the preferred construci;ion link 33 overlies andrests upon 1i'nk34", anal the; two links are counected together ab their point of intersectionby a rin-g 59 which embraces the links and -allows a limited amount of relative movement therebetween so as to facilitate turh'1ng. Link 34, being 1 he1cl at one end by the rigid draft frame structure 42, 44, 45 and a1: the other end by the rear end of the wagen tongue 3!) relatively c1ose 130 the axle 3 l is maintained a1; a substantially Constant height above the g1ound. Link 33, being hold. ab its rear end by the corn pioker frame 22 and being further supported. on link 34, is likewise maintained at a substantially constant height above the ground. Accordingly, the front end of the Wagon tongue 33, being fixed to the freut end of the 1ink 33, is supported by seid link 33 at a'sitalole height above thg ground for good steering control.

The Wagon tongue 30 is steered by the links 34 when the tractor is turned, the stering geometry being determined. by the relative lengths of the links, and the relative positions of the pivots. In general, it can be said that when the tracoor is turned to the right, -the point 4I moves rearwardly relative to the point 25 which causes the link 34 and pivot 40 to fall back relative to the implement. The front end of the tongue 35), however, is swung by the link 33 through an arc about the point 36 with the net result that the tongue is turned to the right to follow the tractor. Likewise, when the tractor is turned to the left, the point 41 moves ahead relative to the point 25, causing the link 34 and point 48 to be pulled forwarclly relative to ehe implement. Ab tlie same time, link 33 causes the front end of the tongue 30 150 swing to the left -about the point 36 as a center, thereby steering the Wagon 150 follow the tractor.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. F01 use with a tractor having an implement connected therewith, and a vehicle disposed 130 travel alongside the implement, said vehicle having a forwardly extending draft tongue, a d-raft device for connecting the vehicle 130 the tractor and implement comprising a pair of crossed links, the first of saicl links being sonnected at one end to the front end. of the vehicle tongue and. at the other end 120 the implement the second of said links having one end connected with the vehicle ab a point rearwardly of the front end of the tongue, and the other end suppo1ted on the tractor drawbar, and said first link being supported on said second link.

2. F01 use with a tractor having an implement connected therewith, and a veh(zile disposed 130 travel alongside the implement, said vehicle having a forwardly extending draft tongue, a draft device for connecting the vehicle 130 the tractor and implement comprising a pair of crossecl links, the first of said links being connected with the vehicle tongue adiacent the front end thereof and with the implement ab a point spaced rearwardly from the hitch connection with the tractor, the second of said links being connected with the vehicle and. with the tractor drawbar, and means connecting said links together Whereby said first link is supported on said second. link and the froni; end of the vehicle tongue is supported by the first link.

3. For use with a tractor having an implement connected therewith, and a vehicle disposed to travel alongside the implement, said vehicle having a forwardly extending draft tor'1gue, a draft device for connecting the vehicle to the tractor and implement comprising a pair of crossed links, the first f said links being connectecl with the vehicle tongue adjacent the front end thereof and with the implement a1; a point spaced rearwardly from the hitch connection with the tractor, the second of said links having one end connected with the vehicle tongue at a point spaced rearwardly from the front end thereof and means for holding the other end of said second link substantially in fixed vertical position with respect to implement, said first link overlying and resting upon said second link and supporting the front end of che vehicle tongue.

4. For use with a tractor having an implement connected therewith, and a vehicle disposed to travel alongside the implement, said vehicle having a forwardly extending draft tongue, a draft device for coimecting the vehicle to the tractor and implement comprising a pair of crossed links, the first of said links being connected with the vehicle tongue adjacent the front end thereof and With the implement at a point spaced rearwardly from the hitch connection with the tractor, the second of said links being connected wioh the vehicle and with the tractor drawbar, and a. ring embracing said links at their point of intersection to support said first link from said second link. said first link serving to support the front end of the vehicle tongue.

5. F01 use with a tractor having an implement Connected therewith, and a vehicle disposed to travel alongside the implement, said vehicle having a forwardly extending draft tongue, a draft device for connecting the vehicle the tractor and implement comprising a pair of crossecl links, the first of said links being connected with the vehicle tongue adjacent the front end thereof and With the implement at a point spaced rearwarclly from the hitch connection With the tractor, the second of said links being connected a1; one end with the vehicle, and means for holding the other end of said second link substantially in fixed vertical position with respect to the implement, said first link being supported by said second link to hold the front end of the vehicle tongue in raised position.

6. In combination With a tractor and implement train and a vehicle disposed to travel alongside the implement and having a forwardly extending draft tongue, of a draft device for connecting the vehicle to the train comprising a pair Cf crossed links, one of said links being connectecl at one end the vehicle near the rear end of said tongue and at the other end 110 the train, and the other of said links being connected ab one end 130 said tongue at a point spaced forwardly of the point of connection of said one link with the vehicle and at the other end to the train, said other link being supported by said one link 110 hold the front end of the vehicle tongue in raised position.

RUSSELL L. DORT. 

